A conventional method for the self-protection of aircraft and the like from radar-guided missiles employs a chaff dispenser for ejecting chaff material in the form of pre-cut dipoles, or lengths of reflective or absorptive materials such as metallized glass or graphite fibers, into the airstream immediately along the flight path of the aerial vehicle. These pre-cut dipoles are cut and packaged at a factory in tubes or cartridges, typically made of a plastic, which are then placed in a dispensing device on the vehicles. One or more cartridges containing dipoles of a length selected in accordance with an expected radar frequency are fired from the dispensing device into the airstream where there is formed a cloud, or bloom, of the chaff which spoofs the radar and thereby provides protection of the vehicle.
There have also been used large bulk chaff dispensers that cut chaff dipoles in flight, but which are bulky, heavy and have a relatively slow response time. These bulk chaff dispensers have been used primarily for training and corridor seeding, as opposed to use for self-protection.
While such conventional systems have been found to be useful for enabling the self-protection of aircraft they present a number of problems, and an improved self-protection device has been needed for some time. Therefore, the device of the present invention has been developed to overcome problems associated with such conventional systems.